Rockville in Montgomery County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Enslaved to Soldier
Zedekiah Thompson Fought for Freedom
Photographed by Allen C. Browne, April 5, 2025
1. Enslaved to Soldier - Zedekiah Thompson fought for Freedom Marker
This busy block once belonged to the Muncasters, a slaveholding family headed by Otho Muncaster. They enslaved four Black human beings, including 31-year-old Zedekiah Thompson.
After the abolition of slavery in Washington, D.C., in spring 1862, Zedekiah self-emancipated to the capital and then on June 17, 1863, enlisted as a private in the 1st U.S. Colored Troops, on what is now Theodore Roosevelt Island. Thompson saw action twice on the field of battle as he fought for the freedom of his race.
On June 15, 1864, during his regiment's successful assault on a Confederate fort in the lines surrounding Petersburg, Va., a musket ball grievously wounded Thompson in the leg. The limb was saved, but the medical procedure permanently disabled him. After years of struggling to support himself after his injury, Thompson was admitted to the National Home for Disabled Veterans in Togus, Maine, in 1883. He died there on July 21, 1902, at the age of 70.
Zedekiah Thompson is a reminder of the best of humanity. Despite being deprived of the most basic human rights for more than thirty years of his life, he sacrificed his future
this page online
Erected 2025 by Maryland Civil War Trails.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • African Americans • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Maryland Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical date for this entry is June 17, 1863.
Location. 39° 5.149′ N, 77° 9.179′ W. Marker is in Rockville, Maryland, in Montgomery County. It is on North Washington Street near Woods Lane. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 110 N Washington St, Rockville MD 20850, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this
Photographed by Allen C. Browne, April 5, 2025
2. Enslaved to Soldier Marker
Other markers no longer nearby. Galilean Temple (was a few steps from this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); a different marker also named Hebron House and Print Shop (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Jerusalem - Mt. Pleasant Church and Parsonage (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Rockville Methodist Episcopal Church - Jerusalem / Mount Pleasant
Library of Congress
3. 1st U.S. Colored Infantry in Formation During Review.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 18, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 6, 2025, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. This page has been viewed 401 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 6, 2025, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland.
